audi

Slated for an early debut next year at the Detroit Auto Show, the 2011 Audi A8 is one of the most thought-after luxury sedans. Caught testing on the Nurburgring circuit, rumors have it that the upcoming model comes with new engines. Apparently there’s the new 6.5L V12 which replaces the 6.1L variant for a monsterish output of over 500 horsies, or the supercharged V8 capable of churning 400 hp. Mileage is also on the priority list for Audi which means the new A8 lineage will also include a 2.0L diesel option mated with twin turbos that sport some 200hp. For those who can afford it, sales will begin late 2010. [via Autoblog]

The Audi A6 C7 mule was caught testing in Romania — a local home for Audi’s Continental Engineering Centre. Consequently we presume that the Audi A6 test was more about engine and performance than anything else. The new A6 is slated for a release in January 2011 and once the engine is confirmed in Romania, it will then head to other parts of the world for different kind of tests before they finally roll it off the production facility. Not much is known about the A6 at the moment but it is common knowledge that the sedan will come with the next generation Aluminum Steel Space Frame which will bring down the weight of the car whilst making it rigid. The fuel consumption will also experience a decrease courtesy of the weight reduction.

Up until now there have been meager speculations that the Audi RS3 might debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, and today we might have reasons to think the rumor is true. If an Audi Dealer from Cape Town, South Africa, is to be believed, the unveiling of the new Audi RS3. 2.5L five-cylinder turbocharged engine with 4WD and 335bhp will be done on the floor in Frankfurt. Although Audi is still denying the whole deal by maintaining absolute silence about the future of the product, we tend to believe that September 17 is going to be the actual “release date” to the public. [via GermanCarBlog]

The Audi TT RS is a very capable machine — courtesy of the Audi Quattro technology — but ABT Sportsline begs to differ, hence why the companu has come up with their own version of the Quattro platform. ABT Sportsline has been in this business for fifty years so we have no other choice but to trust what they present. The wicked tuners have integrated the regular 5 cylinder engine with an air cooler and optimized the engine electronics to raise the power from 340 to 420hp. Because of that, the Abt Audi TT RS dashes from 0 to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds with an overall top-speed of 282km/h. We’re already drooling over driving one …

Audi is planning to make a huge impact at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show with three big releases confirmed. The S5 Sportback, the A4 3.0TDI clean diesel Quattro and the A3 1.2 TFSI will be the three big names showcased at the event. The Audi S5 Sportback is a five-door coupe which is driven by a 3.0-litre V6 engine equipped with a supercharger. It churns 333hp with 440Nm of torque at 2,900rpm to 5,300rpm and is capable of pelting from 0 – 100km/h in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 250km/h. The V6 engine is mated with a seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch transmission. Scheduled for a launch next year, the Audi S5 Sportback will come with a base price of €57,900 in Germany.

The Frankfurt Motor Show will be a heck of an event with a number of stunning cars to be unveiled next month. And one of the much craved for is the Audi RS3 — a hardcore version of the Audi A3 Hatchback. If not a production ready model, we might see an Audi RS3 Concept being showcased at the event. The RS3 is speculated to have a powerful 350 to 400 hp 4.2L FSI engine which will make the car faster than the R8. Rumors have it that it might be the Audi TT-RS 2.5L- 5 Cylinder turbocharged option that will help achieve these amazing numbers. But we’ll know more in a few weeks. [via EGM]

Sportec is ready with its Stage One performance upgrade for the upcoming Audi TT RS. The engineers at Sportec ceased the opportunity of a performance upgrade after analyzing the new engine’s data. Consequently the ECU has been remapped to increase power and torque. A standard engine produces 340hp at 5,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 450Nm at 1,600rpm. The upgrades help the 2.5-litre five-cylinder increase the engine output to 405hp at 5,800rpm and torque to 544Nm at 2,650rpm. This helps the car pelt from 0 to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds making it as potent as the Porsche Panamera S or the older BMW M5 (E39). Not bad, eh?

Some crazy BMW enthusiast in frenzy bought the Audi R8 but couldn’t stand those rings on the front and decided to get rid of them. This car has been spotted in Russia and as you can see it’s an Audi R8 that wears a BMW logo. The owner stripped the supercar of all its logos and swapped them with BMW badges on the hood, engine cover and the rear end. Hell, he even got it a name — the BMW 850i. The car is not a replica by any means, but a genuine Audi R8, so someone at BMW should know that a lot of their admirers want an R8 type model and it is high time that they come up with a design matching the class of the R8. Or else the world will live by this ‘Russian example’.